[tabs]
[tab title=”Qualifications Round”]
| Date | Comp. | Home team | Away team | Final score |
| 06.02.2013 | ACQ | Iran | Lebanon | 5 – 0 |
| 22.03.2013 | ACQ | Kuwait | Iran | 1 – 1 |
| 15.10.2013 | ACQ | Iran | Thailand | 2 – 1 |
| 15.11.2013 | ACQ | Thailand | Iran | 3 – 0 |
| 19.11.2013 | ACQ | Lebanon | Iran | 1 – 4 |
| 03.03.2014 | ACQ | Iran | Kuwait | 3 – 2 |
PLAYERS’ STATS
| Players | Games | Goals | |
| Ahmad ALE NEMEH | 1 | ||
| AmirHossein SADEGHI | 1 | 1 | |
| Bakhtiyar RAHMANI | 1 | ||
| Ghassim HADDADIFAR | 1 | ||
| Hashim BEIGZADEH | 1 | ||
| Jalal RAFKHAEI | 1 | ||
| Maziar ZARE | 1 | ||
| Mehrdad JAMAATI | 1 | ||
| Mohammad NOSRATI | 1 | ||
| Mohammad NOURI | 1 | ||
| Mohammadreza KHANZADEH | 1 | ||
| Mohsen BENGAR | 1 | ||
| Payam SADEGHIAN | 1 | ||
| Reza NOUROZI | 1 | ||
| Daniel DAVARI | 2 | ||
| Khosrow HEYDARI | 2 | ||
| Mehrdad OULADI | 2 | ||
| Mehrdad POOLADI | 2 | ||
| Reza HAGHIGHI | 2 | ||
| Yaghoub KARIMI | 2 | 1 | |
| AliReza JAHANBAKHSH | 3 | 1 | |
| Ehsan HAJSAFY | 3 | ||
| Hossein MAHINI | 3 | ||
| Karim ANSARIFARD | 3 | 1 | |
| MohamadReza KHALATBARY | 3 | ||
| Mojtaba JABBARI | 3 | ||
| Steven BEITASHOUR | 3 | ||
| Andranik TEYMOURIAN | 4 | ||
| Pejman MONTAZERI | 4 | ||
| Rahman AHMADI | 4 | ||
| Ashkan DEJAGAH | 5 | 2 | |
| Jalal HOSSEINI | 5 | 1 | |
| Javad NEKOUNAM | 5 | 4 | |
| Masoud SHOJAEI | 5 | 1 | |
| Reza GHOOCHANNEJAD | 5 | 4 |
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[tab title=”Squad”]
Asian Cup 2015 Team Melli Squad
| Shirt Number | Player Name | |
|---|---|---|
3 | HAJSAFY, Ehsan25-Feb-90 25 years Sepahan Defender 60 Caps 3 Goals |  |
4 | HOSSEINI, Jalal03-Feb-82 33 Years Al Ahli (QAT) Defender 86 Caps 6 goals |  |
6 | NEKOUNAM, Javad06-Sep-80 35 Years Osasuna (ESP) Midfield 143 Caps 37 Goals |  |
14 | TEYMOURIAN, Andranik06-Mar-83 32 Years Esteghlal Midfield 79 Caps 9 Goals |  |
10 | ANSARIFARD, Karim03-Apr-90 25Years Osasuna (ESP) Forward 42 Caps 9 Goals |  |
7 | SHOJAEI, Masoud09-Jun-84 31 Years Las Palmas (ESP) Midfield 51 Caps 5 Goals |  |
11 | GHAFOORI, Vouriya20.Sep.87 27 years Sepahan Esfahan Defender 1 Cap |  |
21 | DEJAGAH, Ashkan05-Jul-86 27 years Al Arabi (QAT) Midfield 14 Caps 4 Goals |  |
16 | GHOOCHANNEJAD, Reza20-Sep-87 26 years Al Kuwait (KUW) Forward 14 Caps 11 Goals |  |
8 | POURALIGANJI, Morteza19-Apr-92 22 years Naft Tehran Defender 0 Caps 0 Goal |  |
18 | JAHANBAKSH, Alireza08-Oct-93 20 years NEC Nijmegen (NED) Forward 7 Caps 1 Goal |  |
5 | KHANZADEH, MohammadReza20-Jan-92 23 years Persepolis Defender 7 Caps 1 Goal |  |
19 | BEIKZADEH, Hashim22-Jan-84 30 years Esteghlal Defender 16 caps 1 goal |  |
15 | REZAEIAN Ramin21-Mar-90 24 years Rah Ahan Defender 0 caps |  |
1 | HAGHIGHI, Alireza02-May-88 26 years Sporting Covilhã (POR) Goalkeeper 6 caps |  |
2 | HEYDARI, Khosro14-Sep-83 30 Years Esteghlal Defender 49 Caps |  |
22 | BIRANVAND, Alireza23-Sep-91 23 Years Naft Tehran Goalkeeper 0 Caps |  |
QUEIROZ, Carlos01-Mar-53 61 Years Head Coach |  |
|
12 | FOROUZAN, Mohsen03-May-88 26 Years Esteghlal Goalkeeper 0 Caps |  |
20 | AZMOUN, Sardar01-Jan-95 19 Years Rubin Kazan Forward 3 Caps 1 Goal |  |
13 | AMIRI, Vahid02-Apr-88 26 Years Naft Tehran Midfield 0 Caps 0 Goal |  |
23 | POOLADI, Mehrdad20-Feb-87 26 years Al Shahaniya (QAT) Defender 21 caps |  |
17 | RAFEI, Soroush24-Apr-90 24 years Foolad Khuzestan Midfield 0 caps |  |
9 | EBRAHIMI, Omid16-Sep-87 27 years Esteghlal Midfield 6 caps |  |
[/tab]
[tab title=”Matches”]
Group C
MATCHES
| Sun | 11-Jan-15 | UAE | 4 – 1 | Qatar | Khalfan IBRAHIM(22′ ) | Ahmed KHALIL (37′ , 52′) , Ali Ahmed MABKHOUT (56′, 89′) |
| Iran | 2 – 0 | Bahrain | E. HAJSAFY (45’+2) , M. SHOJAEI (71′) | |||
| Thu | 15-Jan-15 | Bahrain | 1 – 2 | UAE | Jaycee OKWUNWANNE (26′) | Ali Ahmed MABKHOUT (1′) ; Mohammed HUSSAIN (o.g. 73′) |
| Qatar | 0 – 1 | Iran | Sardar AZMOUN (52′) | |||
| Mon | 19-Jan-15 | Iran | 1 – 0 | UAE | Reza GHOOCHANNEJAD (90+1) | |
| Qatar | 1 – 2 | Bahrain | Hassan KHALID (68′) | Seyed Dhiya SAEED (35′), Seyed Ahmed Jaafar (82′) |
Iran vs. 
BahrainCoach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal)
BAHRAIN: Sayed Mohammed Jaafar: Mohammed Hussain, Sami Al Husaini (80′ Sayed Ahmed) , Abdulla Omar,Faouzi Aaish, Waleed Al Hayam (65′ Rashed Al Hooti), Hussain Ali Baba, Sayed Dhiya, Abdulwahab Ali, Ismaeel Abdulatif (65′ Abdulwahab Al Malood), Jaycee Okwunwanne.
Coach: Marjan Eid (Bahrain)
Qatar vs. IranCoach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal)
Iran vs. 
UAE
Coach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal)
[/tab]
[tab title=”Highlights “]
Articles, match descriptions and news-clips.
[spoiler title=”Routing of Lebanon ” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]
Iran 5-0 Lebanon
- Published on Wednesday, 06 February 2013 23:11
Tehran: Captain Javad Nekonam scored a hat-trick as three-time champions Iran opened their AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifying campaign in style with a 5-0 win over 10-man Lebanon in Tehran on Wednesday.
Standard Liege’s Reza Ghoochannejhad also netted twice at Azadi Stadium to open his international account as Iran gained revenge over Lebanon having lost last year’s FIFA World Cup qualifier 1-0 in Beirut.
With two teams from each group securing automatic qualification for the 2015 finals in Australia, Kuwait – who entertain Iran at the end of March- join Iran at the top of Group B after beating Thailand 3-1 in Bangkok.
“I appreciate the effort from my players; they kept fighting and never gave up. We were able to highlight the gap between Iranian and Lebanese football,” said Iran coach Carlos Queiroz.
“After we lost at home to Uzbekistan we needed to do something to relieve the pressure and we were able to beat Lebanon 5-0 which will alleviate the negative atmosphere.
“I opted to substitute Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejhad for two less experienced players as we had already achieved the result and I wanted to give the opportunity to some of the young players.”
Iran had to wait until midway through the first half to open the scoring as Mojtaba Jabari fed Ghoochannejhad for the Belgium-based striker to fire past Lebanon goalkeeper Abbas Hassan for his first international goal.
Anderanik Teymourian and Fulham midfielder Ashkan Dejagah both went close for Iran as the half progressed, with Hassan Maatouk creating Lebanon’s first real opportunity after 31 minutes.
But in first half stoppage time Iran finally doubled their lead as Nekonam (pictured) converted from the penalty spot.
And Iran’s third arrived just after the hour mark as Nekonam again netted from 12 yards after Nour Mansour had been sent-off after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on the lively Dejagah inside the penalty area.
Ghoochannejhad’s second international goal extended the lead soon after as the striker converted from close range before Nekonam’s deflected strike with 10 minutes remaining sealed the win and his hat-trick.
“We didn’t travel here to win, a single point from the tie would have been enough, but the way the game played out caught me off guard,” said Lebanon coach Theo Bucker.
“We lost concentration after both penalties and we were unable to get it back.”
[/spoiler]
[spoiler title=”A disappointing draw for Team Melli” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]
Kuwait City: Kuwait and Iran edged ahead of Lebanon in Group B of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Kuwait SC Stadium on Tuesday. Despite being on the back foot for much of the first half, the visitors took the lead just before half-time when Masoud Shojaei capitalised on some sloppy defending to put his side ahead. But Kuwait stepped up the pressure in the second half and they rewarded when Fahad Awad kept his cool to convert from the penalty spot with 14 minutes left. The result meant that both sides moved up to four points, one ahead of Lebanon, who downed Thailand 5-2 in their Group B match in Beirut last Friday. Iran lead the section on goal difference after they trounced Lebanon 5-0 in their opener while Kuwait only managed a 3-1 away win in Thailand.
Playing their first home game of the qualifiers, Kuwait began the match well and they had a number of chances to break the deadlock in the first half as Hamad Al Enezi and Bader Al Motawaa missed good opportunities. Having failed to make the most of their chances, the hosts were stunned when Iran took the lead right at the end of the first half. Ashkan Dejagah made a strong run down the right flank but his cut-back from the byline appeared to be too close to goalkeeper Nawaf Al Khaldi, who sprawled on the floor to gather the ball. However, it slipped loose from his grasp and defender Hussain Fadhel’s weak clearance only went as far as Mojtaba Jabari, who crashed his shot against the angle of post and crossbar. The ball rebounded to Shojaei who volleyed it back towards the Kuwait goal where Al Khaldi made a valiant effort to stop the effort but could not prevent it from crossing the goalline. Iran tried to defend their lead after the interval and they frustrated the Kuwaitis until the home side were awarded a penalty in the 76th minute for a foul on Abdulhadi Khamee by captain Javad Nekounam.
Fahad Awad made no mistake from the spot, sending Iran goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi the wrong way to ensure that honours were shared between the two sides although Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic felt that his team should have won after playing the better football throughout the match. “We were the better side in the first half but our forwards did not have their best day and they missed several chances. But at the same time we didn’t deserve to concede a goal because we were the better side,” said the Serbian. “We made some changes in the second half and we increased our attacking options in order to get back into the game. We managed to score the equaliser but we needed more concentration and luck to get the three points.” Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, meanwhile, opted for a cautious gameplan that nearly paid dividends.
“We started the game with a cautious approach as we wanted to stop the enthusiasm of our opponents who had the advantage of playing at home and in front of their fans,” said the Portuguese. “We managed to take the lead at the end of the first half and we continued with our good performance in the second half although a defensive mistake gave Kuwait the chance to equalise with a penalty. “We are still at the start of the qualifiers and the chance is open for all the teams in the group.”
[/spoiler]
[spoiler title=”Team Melli’s struggle against Thailand” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]
Tehran: Jalal Hosseini and Reza Ghoochannejhad struck in a devastating three-minute spell midway through the second half as Iran beat Thailand 2-1 on Tuesday to move two points clear at the top of Group B in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers. Despite dominating the match at the Azadi Stadium, the home side were frustrated by the Thais until centre-back Hosseini broke the deadlock in the 67th minute and Ghoochannejhad tapped in a second shortly afterwards, Teerasil Dangda pulled a goal back for the visitors with 10 minutes left but despite missing a few chances to put the game to bed, the Iranians still picked up the win to move up to seven points from three games, two in front of second-placed Kuwait, who drew 1-1 at Lebanon earlier in the day.
Despite the win, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz lamented the disjointed performance of his team, who had not played an international match since a 1-0 win over Korea Republic in a World Cup qualifier in June. “I think after four months without preparations and friendlies, it was natural to see our team put out a dull performance in the first period when there was an obvious lack of organisation. However, our players gradually got better and they improved all the way through the match to the end,” said the Portuguese. “For sure, it was not a good game for us and also the result did not exactly show the effort we put into the game as we missed a couple of very good chances and Thailand’s goal was an accident. “But tonight’s match should be regarded as a wake-up call for Iranian football as there is no football team in the world who can survive after staying four complete months in the absolute wilderness.”
After a disappointing first half, the Iranians picked up their game after the interval but they were continually frustrated by the Thai defence and goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattankool and the Thai defence until they finally made the crucial breakthrough midway through the half. An Iranian corner was half-cleared and as the Thais attempted to push up, the ball was played back towards the edge of the box where Hosseini neatly sidestepped a challenge before chipping the ball to the right of the sprawling Sinthaweechai. Buoyed by the goal, the hosts added a second just three minutes later after some fine work on the left flank by substitute Karim Ansarifard who surged past a defender before sending a low cross to the far post where Ghoochannejhad easily tapped home.
The Thais made things interesting in the closing minutes when Narong Jansawek gained possession on the edge of the Iranian box with 10 minutes left and laid it off for Teerasil, who rifled it into the top left corner past a static Rahman Ahmadi. But the Iranians should have sealed victory in the 85th minute through Mohammad Reza Khalatbari, whose fierce effort from 10 metres was brilliantly turned over the crossbar by Sinthaweechai. While the Iranians are flying high in the group, the Thais remained rooted to the bottom with no points from three games. “We came to Tehran to get at least one point to give us something to build on for our return match in Bangkok but things didn’t proceed as we expected,” said Thailand coach Surachai Jaturapattarapong. “Now, we have to use all our chances in the best way possible at home to try to get a point. But Iran are an Asian powerhouse who have already qualified for the World Cup and so the return match will also be difficult for us.” ”
[/spoiler]
[spoiler title=”Thailand is no match for Team Melli” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]
Asian Cup 2015 (Qs) MD4: Thailand 0-3 Iran
- Published on Friday, 15 November 2013 22:50
Bangkok: Three-time AFC Asian Cup winners Iran took a big step towards qualification for the 2015 finals in Australia with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Thailand on Friday.
The Asian powerhouses, who have already booked their passage to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, outclassed the home side at a steamy Rajamangala Stadium with goals from Ashkan Dejagah, Reza Ghoochannejhad and Alireza Jahanbakhsh
And the victory took unbeaten Iran to 10 points two games remaining in Group B, with Thailand still without a point and facing almost certain elimination.
“We go to Lebanon next week with 10 points which was our goal. I think it will be enough to qualify for the Asian Cup finals,” said Iran coach Carlos Queiroz.
“It was a good game for us tonight, especially in the first half. We were 2-0 up and had control of the game after 45 minutes.
“We slowed down a bit in the second half and played with less energy and speed. My players know there is a long trip to Lebanon.
“We came here with the right attitude, very professional. I am very happy with the attitude of my players.”
Thailand had a huge let off after just seven minutes with Iran defender Pejman Montazeri – up for a free-kick – scooping the ball into the grateful arms of Thai goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool from just six yards.
Iran looked by far the more potent force and Sinthaweechai did well to parry a good effort from midfielder Mojtaba Jabari in the 27th minute.
But the opener was delayed by just a minute with Fulham’s Dejagah, who had been a constant menace down the right wing, finding the target with a well-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Iran continued to press and added a second in the 43rd minute with striker Ghoochannejhad taking advantage of poor defending by Thailand to lift the ball past Sinthaweechai.
Thailand battled for every ball but had no answer to the guile and pace of Iran and failed to create a single clear-cut chance in the first half.
Iran lacked the same intensity in the second half allowing the Thais to be more adventurous and substitute Datsakorn Thonglao – surprisingly left out of the starting line-up – forced goalkeeper Mohammad Davari into his first real save in the 73rd minute.
But after Thailand substitute Phawadon Suwanchart was sent-off in injury time, Iran rubbed salt into the host’s wounds with Jahanbakhsh scoring his side’s third goal.
“My players were not so fresh tonight and faced a lot of stress. Physically and tactically they were way ahead of us. We must develop and improve our tactics and technique,” said Thailand coach Surachai Jaturapattarapong.
“The next generation of players must develop these skills otherwise we will not get better.
“We will play for pride in the final two games and we will be looking to win them both.”
[/spoiler]
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[tab title=”Gallery “] Pictures, video, images
Iran vs. Bahrain Melbourne 11th Jan 2015
[custom_gallery source=”media: 9444,9438,9429,9426,9418,9474,9475,9476,9477,9478,9479,9480,9481,9482,9483,9484,9485,9486″ limit=”15″ link=”lightbox” target=”blank” width=”470″ height=”200″]
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